


In a lifetime

by OhDearLoki



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: F/M, Gabriel (Supernatural) is Loki, Loki Lives (Marvel), Loki has a wife, Post-Endgame
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-24
Updated: 2020-09-24
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:22:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,866
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26635048
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OhDearLoki/pseuds/OhDearLoki
Summary: Forget what you were told. Loki did not die at the hands of Thanos.The story is quite different. The prince of Asgard survived and helped defeat the monster. He's now been living on Earth for five years, rebuilding Asgard in Norway alongside his wife, June.Their relationship, after five years of marriage, seems to have lost some of its charms. June, after a strange accident, is propelled into the past. And not just any past, Loki's past. Travelling to different periods of his life, June will understand why Loki is who he is today and that his love is greater than he lets on.
Relationships: Loki (Marvel)/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 7





	In a lifetime

The story is quite different from the one you have been told.

Dry your tears, dear friends, for this is not the end. Are you surprised? What's the point of dying as a hero when life can offer many other rewards. Forget your sadness and the lifeless faces of the fallen. Yes, there was Thanos. Yes, he did try to decimate half of humanity. But, the version I am going to count you is quite different, and I think you will please you more.

It all starts with this fallen prince, with hair as black as ash and skin as pale as snow. Loki. You all know his story, his downfall and the desire for revenge that has gnawed at him all his life. You all know that he died at the hand of Thanos and that his body still lies in the rubble of a spaceship, aimlessly wandering through space. Well, not quite dead...

You're still there? Have I lost you already?

Everybody knows that Loki is the god of mischief and it would have been a shame to die as simply as that when he had already faked his death at least three times. By skill and strength of will, Loki had managed to deceive Thanos, just like his brother, once again. Proclaimed dead, and mourned by the only family he had left, Loki was free. Free to run away from all this. Thanos could never find him if he thought he was dead, could he? It was the ideal plan and the right thing to do. At least it was for the old Loki. The one who was still filled with bitterness and driven by a thirst for revenge. This was no longer the case. The fallen Prince had finally understood his place. He had forgiven Odin at the time of his death and had finally admitted that Thor was his brother and that it would always be so.

So, instead of fleeing, he went to Earth.

I would have liked to tell you that this immense battle did not take place. But I would be lying to you. All the heroes came together to try to defeat Thanos, but among them, this time, was Loki. He stood at their side, fighting against the monsters that Thanos had called to the rescue. He managed to control his fear and use it to fight.

It's now five years since Thanos was defeated. Loki has been accepted on Earth as a hero. Together with his brother, they have rebuilt their kingdom, their new home. Loki is happy; he has found a home, a people he can rule as the king he always wanted to be and a family. Yet many things have changed. Starting with the ring on his finger.

After his arrival on Earth, Loki had to go through many tests and interviews with what was left of SHIELD, to verify that he was indeed no longer a threat to the planet. That's where he met her.

June Golbury.

She was a young SHIELD agent, recruited just before the battle. She had been traumatised by this experience, all this violence. And she had held on to the interviews of the man who had helped them save the Earth. Loki had played a big role in their victory and June wanted to get to know him. She had followed his journey from his appearance in New Mexico and then in New York. She then researched Northern mythology in the library. She knew everything about him, or so she thought. She soon discovered that Loki was a more complex being than he appeared to be. And her curiosity was all the greater for it.

The time she spent at his side was restorative for both of them. Loki needed to be understood, listened to and supported. That's what she did for him. While June needed someone to reassure her, to motivate her, to believe in her. That's what Loki did for her. They fell in love without even realizing it.

And two years later he proposed.

And that's the real story, the one that has been hidden from us. But in reality, it's only just beginning...

"Loki!"

June came out of the house and looked around. She shivered when a gust of wind blew over her. Norway was a beautiful country, but she was still struggling to get used to the capricious climate. The young woman took her woollen shawl, which hung from the coat rack at the door, and went out to find her husband.

The new Asgard was nothing like the previous one. No golden palace, no rainbow bridge. It was a simple village, where people lived mainly from fishing. Thor was its protector and Loki was its leader.

"You haven't seen Loki?" June asked a young woman untangling the fishing nets.

"No, my Queen."

June nodded her head in thanks, a tight smile on her lips, before continuing on her way. Loki had become king, which made her a queen. And although the title was pleasant, she hadn't got used to being called that. She didn't feel like a queen, while Loki... Well, he had always dreamed of the throne and he enjoyed the role. It was often a source of quarrels in their relationship. June didn't want people to bow down at her feet and assist her in her every move. Loki, for his part, felt that it was a privilege and that she had to put up with it.

The young woman continued her search until she reached the edge of the quay. She looked at the sea stretching as far as the eye could see in front of her. The waves were as restless as her mind. She loved Loki, more than anything else in the world, but lately, she had trouble being happy. The reconstruction of Asgard had consumed much of their time and Loki was becoming more distant. He was a perfect king, a righteous and caring ruler. He looked after his people, but June felt neglected. A bit like a portrait in the background, which decorates the room in a sublime way but to which little attention is paid.

Her hair danced to the rhythm of the wind, tickling her stern and worried face. Suddenly she heard his voice. In spite of herself and her doubts about their relationship, a smile crept across her face. She turned and saw the man she was looking for in the distance.

"June!" he exclaimed when he saw her on the deck of the quay.

She joined him and let him kiss her.

"I was looking for you." he said.

"Funny, me too. But you found me first." She smiled.

"I have a present for you."

"Oh, what's the occasion?"

He smiled, amused and enigmatic. He liked surprises, he especially liked to surprise her. He took her hands and frowned immediately.

"You're freezing. Let's go home before you catch a cold."

He put an arm around her waist and guided her into their little house. The warmth of the chimney greeted them at once and the young woman's cheeks began to tingle. Loki guided her to the fireplace and rubbed her arms up and down to help her warm-up. Her amused laughter made him proud. He kissed the top of her head before leaving for their room. He came back a few seconds later with a box.

"What is it?" June asked, taking the box in her hands.

"A present." He replied simply by shrugging his shoulders. "Open it."

So she did. With a gasp of surprise, she discovered the most beautiful dress she had ever seen. Words could not express her joy and astonishment. Loki smiled at the sight of her face.

"Do you like it?"

"Are you kidding?" she exclaimed. "Loki, it's beautiful, of course, I like it!"

She put the box on an armchair and went to kiss her husband. He put his arms around her waist, a smile constantly on his lips.

"Go and try it on, please." he murmured.

She nodded her head and went to their room to try on her new dress. It was elegant, the kind of dress you wear on a big night out, but it also had a pagan side. She loved it. Yet when she looked in the mirror she couldn't keep her smile.

She knew that Loki liked to spoil her after an argument. The one the day before had been particularly violent. They had been getting more and more recent lately. As if they couldn't get along anymore. She was afraid that their love would crumble. And when she saw that the only way Loki had found to make up for it was to give her gifts, she felt uncomfortable.

"June?"

At the sound of his voice, the young woman came out of her daydream and went to join him in the living room. She appreciated the surprise on his face when he saw her, she also appreciated the love she saw in his eyes. But once again she could not bring herself to share his happiness. For her, this dress was just a diversion to make her forget their fight.

"You look lovely." he murmured as he approached her.

"Loki, it is really beautiful... But... But... I don't want it."

"What?" He asked, surprised.

"I'm not an idiot, Loki. I know you cover me with gifts after every fight. But the only way to make things better is to talk about it."

Immediately, his face closed, his smile disappeared. She noticed that he clenched his fists for a moment, but wasn't afraid of it. He had never laid a hand on her.

"Can't you just enjoy my gifts?"

"I appreciate them, but they would be better received in other circumstances," she replied, her tone rising without her realizing it.

"Why do you always have to think my intentions are bad? I just wanted to please you. I saw this dress and I didn't think it would be a good way to make up for it, but simply that it looked like the dresses of Asgard in the old days!" he shouted.

His voice echoed through the little house. He was finding it harder and harder to keep his composure lately. He raised his voice easily and it frightened June. She remained silent, not knowing whether she should feel guilty or angry. Finally, Loki put a hand over his face and calmed down.

"I took this dress for you because it looks like the one they used to give to brides-to-be on their wedding day. It's the kind of dress I could have given you if Asgard hadn't fallen out."

This time she felt guilty.

"Look at us." she sighed. "What is happening to us?"

Loki would have liked to tell her that he didn't really know, but that it scared him. He loved her as he'd never loved anyone before and he was afraid of losing her. He wanted to tell her that she didn't understand him, that she didn't see him. And maybe he couldn't see either that he was spending too much time governing this little piece of land. That he no longer cared for his wife as he should.

But before he could begin to express his thoughts, the ground shook violently. Loki caught June by the shoulders before she lost her balance. When calm returned, they looked at each other strangely, panting, perplexed.

Before June could ask what was going on, their door opened abruptly to reveal Thor. He was out of breath and seemed panicked.

"Loki, come quickly. Something happened in the cave."

Loki's face changed to one of surprise and worry. With one last look at his wife, he followed Thor. June remained for a moment in a state of panic, wondering what could be going on, before deciding to leave after the boys. She ran, holding her dress, to a cave by the sea. She didn't know it existed until now, but Loki and Thor seemed to know it was there. And judging by the dozens of workers there, they had decided to explore it.

"What had happened?" Loki asked authoritatively.

"We dug, my King, as you asked. But the ceiling collapsed."

"Is anyone injured?" Asked Thor

"No, but there are some strange things you should see."

The two brothers looked at each other before following the man into the cave. June wanted to ask them how long they had known about the cave and why they had ordered to dig, but they had already left. So she took the bottom of her dress, tied it up so that she wouldn't drag it on the ground and get caught in her feet before she followed them.

The cave was dark, but she managed to follow them to a clearing, lit by torches. The smell of dust and dampness came up to her nose, but her discomfort dissipated, giving way to surprise when she saw a pearly rock in the middle of the wall. The rock was shiny, even in the dark, and its reflections seemed to move by themselves.

"What is it?" she asked aloud.

Loki and Thor turned towards her, surprised by her presence. They hadn't heard her following them or even arriving in that cave.

"June?" Loki asked. "What are you doing here?"

"The same thing as you."

"Nice dress," said Thor, feeling the tension in the air.

"Thank you, Thor. Now, is someone going to answer me? What is it?"

"You shouldn't be here, it's dangerous." Insisted Loki, trying to turn her in the direction of the exit.

"Out of the question."

June turned around and approached the strange rock.

"So that's why you were coming home so late. You were here."

"I thought you told her what we were doing." Thor inquired, turning to his brother, confused.

"No, Thor, he didn't tell me." She replied, crossing her arms on her chest.

"I didn't think you'd be interested," Loki replied simply, offended and a little angry.

"Of course I'm interested. This is my kingdom too, Loki." She replied just as upset.

This sentence raised his anger a notch, Loki crossed his arms on his chest in turn, imitating his wife's posture, his eyebrows furrowed.

"It is only when it suits you. Only yesterday you didn't want to be Queen any more!"

His voice rose again, echoing through the cave.

"That's not what I said and you know it very well!" she replied. "Stop playing with words, Loki, I'm not in the mood."

"Of course, you're blaming me once again."

"Stop being a martyr!" She got angry. "Act like a man for once and let's solve our problems like adults!"

Under the anger, June waved her hands frantically. The ground under her feet crumbled and made her lose her balance. With a little scream of surprise, she barely made up for it on the wall behind her. Without realising it, her hand touched the pearly rock and before she could react, it lit up. The light enveloped her and an unpleasant heat spread throughout her body.

"What is it? Loki!" she called out, scared and surprised.

But before he could take her outstretched hand to him, the young woman disappeared before his eyes in a burst of light.

"June!" he shouted, staring in shock at where she was just a few seconds ago.

Loki felt his heart stop for a moment and a deep emptiness invade him. He had the feeling that his reason for being and all his happiness had just been snatched from him. Without him realising it, tears came to his eyes. He couldn't explain this feeling, it was stronger than panic and more real than fear. Breathlessly he looked at his brother, not knowing what to do to find his wife.

June felt the wind shake her in all directions as if she was making a parachute jump. But she knew that this time there would be no soft landing. She screamed until her lungs burned and didn't dare open her eyes for fear of understanding what was happening to her. The fall seemed interminable until finally the wind died down and her fall slowed down.

She opened her eyes just in time to see a gate opening. Her feet suddenly landed on the ground, but she didn't have time to regain her balance. She crashed to the ground with a scream of surprise.

"Ooch..." she murmured.

June then noticed that the dusty stone of the cave she was in just a few moments ago had been replaced by polished marble. Confused, she raised her head and discovered with amazement the golden columns and the endless corridor stretching before her. Slowly she got back on her feet and looked at her new surroundings. She knew where she was. She had heard descriptions of this place for five years, so she knew she could not be wrong. Yet she didn't want to believe it. It was only when she looked at the railing that she realised.

"Asgard..." she sighed, amazed.

The beauty of the landscape before her took her breath away for a moment. She had been dreaming about this place, Loki had been telling her about it for hours, but she hadn't imagined that the reality would be much more satisfying.

"But what am I doing here?"

Although she was amazed by her husband's kingdom, she couldn't help but wonder. Asgard had been destroyed, wiped out during the Ragnarok. So what was she doing here, how was this possible? Before she could ask herself any more questions, or even begin to look for answers, the dull sound of a heavy door opening echoed through the long corridor. June went to hide behind a marble column and held her breath. In spite of her fear, curiosity was greater. She looked around to see what was going on.

She was astonished when she saw Loki.

At first, her heart quickened and relief greeted her. She was almost about to come out of her hiding place to join him and hug him before she realised some disturbing details. He looked younger and his hair was much shorter.

"Thor's coronation is less than a week away, so all the preparations must be ready."

Loki's voice was soft and so much younger. June watched the scene, perplexed.

"Yes, my prince." Answered the guard who followed him.

Loki suddenly stopped in his tracks, the guard also stopping beside him, perplexed. June held her breath but her heart seemed to beat so hard that she was sure he could hear it from where he was.

"Is something wrong, my prince?"

"Just... nothing." Loki shook his head. "Get back to work and keep me informed of your progress."

With that, the guard bowed down and left. Loki stayed a few more seconds, looking behind him before he went on his way again. June waited until he was out of her sight to let out her sigh of relief. However, it was short-lived. She was startled and squealed with surprise when a hand fell on her shoulder. She turned around sharply and found herself facing two emerald eyes she knew only too well.

"Loki!" she exclaimed in spite of herself.

"That's your highness for you," he replied curtly, his stern gaze casting her in place. "What are you doing here? Who are you?"

"I'm, uh..." she stammered.

Surprised at first, she quickly recovered when she finally understood his question. Why didn't he know her? Why did he want her to call him by his title?

"Well? I await your answer, intruder."

Suddenly, a flash of light appeared to her, and she thought she understood. His conversation with the guard earlier came to her mind. The coronation of Thor. Where it all really began. Where Loki learned his true origins and lost all control.

"You can't remember me because you haven't known me yet..." she mumbled, shocked. "It hasn't happened yet!"

"What?" Loki asked, confused and annoyed by her insubordination.

"Either I'm dreaming or... I've travelled through time?" she continued, too shocked by her discovery to care about the prince in front of her.

Loki lost his patience. He grabbed her by the arm and took her with him.

"That's enough, you will answer to your King. Odin will make you talk whether you like it or not."

This sentence had the effect of making her react. She got out of his grip and put her hands up in the air as if to show him that she was harmless.

"No! Forgive me, my prince. I got lost and fell, I am no longer thinking clearly."

Until she had fully understood what was happening to her, June decided to play the game. If it could keep her alive, so be it.

Loki looked at her from head to toe. June knew he was not stupid, it took a lot more than that to fool the god of mischief. Slowly Loki nodded his head and took a step back. June held her breath, it was strange that he let her go so easily, but she shouldn't tempt the devil. She bowed awkwardly and turned her back to him and walked away. Barely two steps away, she heard his voice echoing through the corridors.

"Allow me to walk you back."

That was surprising coming from him. The young woman turned around as he approached her, an enigmatic smile at the corners of his lips.

"That's not necessary," she replied after a moment's hesitation.

She didn't know where to go, she didn't need to arouse his suspicions. Even if part of her wanted to say yes. Her Loki wasn't so delicate. Her Loki didn't mince his words, which sometimes could be as sharp as a blade. Once again she lost herself in his gaze. He looked so young, so pure and carefree. The man she had married had lost that lightness. He was always stern-eyed and closed in his face. She would have liked to have known him then.

"I insist."

With those simple words, June knew he suspected something. He knew she was hiding the truth from him. And once again, she was baffled. The man she knew would have been clever enough to pull the words out of her mouth before he slamming her against the wall with a knife at her throat. This version of Loki was more subtle. He wanted to force her to betray herself, either by making a false move or by revealing clumsy information. He also wanted to take her home to make sure she wouldn't get in his way again.

The differences, though subtle, were many between the two versions of the man she loved. It was at this point that she wondered how much the trials he had to go through had changed him?

They walked for a moment without a word. June's tangled thoughts echoed so strongly in her head that she nearly didn't hear Loki when he spoke again.

"Your dress is splendid. Who is the lucky man?" he asked, in the tone of the conversation.

The young woman lowered her head towards her dress, confused by his question. She remembered her last moments with Loki, her Loki. He had told her that this was the kind of dress that was offered to the bride-to-be on Asgard. This thought filled her with pride and love as well as sadness. For she realised that the last moments she had spent with her husband were their quarrel.

"Oh, uh... I'm already married actually. He gave it to me to prove his love."

"Why would he need to prove it by giving you a dress?" Asked Loki, puzzled.

"Our couple..."

The young woman suddenly stopped answering. She was going to talk about her marital problems with her future husband. How ironic. She almost laughed.

"We spend most of our time arguing. Over nothing. I think it was his way to make amends."

Loki nodded, pensive.

"If he couldn't think of anything better than offering you dresses to make up for it, you should leave him."

June suddenly turned her head towards him, stopping walking to face him. This is what she had thought when she received the dress and hearing it from Loki's mouth caused an unpleasant sensation in her stomach.

"I love him far too much for that." She finally replied.

Immediately tears came to her eyes. She knew that their problem could be solved simply by talking like two responsible adults. But Loki, her Loki, refused to talk about it. He ran away as if he was afraid to talk to her, to tell her how he felt. June just wanted to understand. Why, after five years of marriage, had it come to this? What had they done wrong? Why was Loki so withdrawn?

She realised that she was so afraid of losing him. And after that stupid accident in that cave, she realised that she might already have lost him. And the last thing she would have said to him was to behave like a man.

Before the tears could escape from her eyes, she looked away. Then she noticed with relief that she was out of the palace. She thanked the young prince and fled before he could question her further.

June walked as fast and as long as she could. Her thoughts jostled in her head. But before she could put it in order, she felt the unpleasant heat overwhelm her. She looked at her hands and was astonished to see that they began to glow.

"Oh, no, not again!" she exclaimed.

Once again, the light engulfed her and she began to fall. The fall was as unpleasant as the first time, as was the landing. When the gate opened, she just managed to catch herself against the wall.

She looked around, out of breath and still shaken by her unconventional journey, but did not recognise the place. Everything was dark and damp. She was in a kind of underground and she heard voices in the distance. Not knowing where she had just stepped, she decided to follow the corridor that led to the voices. After a while, she saw a plastic curtain leading to the main hall. Silently, she watched the commotion on the other side.

Quickly, June noticed the armed men moving from one side of the room to the other. They didn't look like soldiers, but they were armed to the teeth, the kind of artillery you take to go to war. Suitcases were piled up everywhere and some people were wearing lab coats. The young woman didn't understand what was going on or where she was, but her instinct told her not to stick around to find out.

As she was walking back to the other end of the corridor, she suddenly heard footsteps and saw a shadow on the wall opposite. Her breath stopped when she saw the silhouette of a man with two horns on his head. Loki. She turned back immediately, determined to flee from him. She didn't think she was dreaming this time, it all looked too real, which meant she was travelling through time. She didn't want to interfere any more than she already had. Alas, when she turned to flee from him, she found herself face to face with him.

"Bloody doubles..." she thought.

But her surprise vanished, giving way to fear when she saw the sceptre in his hand. She suddenly realised where she was.

"New York, 2012..." she murmured, shocked.

Loki looked at her for a moment and then he slammed her against the wall, his sceptre pressing hard against her throat. She tried to fight him, but he was much stronger, she had no choice but to look him in the eye. She then noticed that all the sweetness she had seen in her previous encounter had disappeared. His eyes were like a blur, glassy. The dark circles on his cheeks were deep and dark, indicating a lack of sleep. She didn't recognise her Loki.

"What are you doing here, how did you get in?" Loki ordered.

Even his voice was different, full of madness. June didn't know how to answer to get out of this mess. Suddenly something changed in the young man's eyes.

"It was you." he sighed. "You are the young intruder of Asgard."

June felt her breath running out and he noticed it. He loosened his grip just enough for her to resume normal breathing, but not enough for her to leave. He wanted answers.

"What are you doing here? Who are you?"

June was panicked, it wasn't her Loki, she didn't want to relive the events in New York. She didn't want to see him like that. She realised that the men she had seen earlier were part of his team and that somewhere among them were Agent Barton, Professor Selvig and the Tesseract.

"Don't do that." she said before she could restrain herself.

He raised an eyebrow.

"Do what?"

"Don't attack New York. Loki, you're not you. It's Thanos who manipulates you. Stop all this while there's still time and go back to your family."

Before she could finish her sentence, he thrust his sceptre down her throat.

"I don't have a family."

June was thinking. She was so eager to do something about it, to make sure it didn't happen. But if it didn't happen, she probably wouldn't be married to this man years later. She wondered what was more important. Her marriage or the happiness of the one she loves? The choice was quickly made.

"Loki, I beg you. You are destroying yourself. You can fix this."

He frowned, not understanding a single word she was saying. Who was she? How did she know him?

"I can't bear to see you destroy yourself again. Please."

"Why do you care? You don't know me."

She had a chance. One chance to make things right. She could save him from madness, she could save him from going to prison on Asgard, and maybe at the same time she could save Thanos from having the Tesseract. So much could be different if Loki didn't destroy the town that day. The butterfly effect could be stopped. So she decided to tell him the truth.

"I know you, Loki. I'm from the future. And I know you better than anyone else."

He looked at her for a moment, a bewildered and amused smile on the corner of his lips. But he soon realised that she was sincere, especially when he saw the tears shining in her eyes. That made him furious.

"Don't play with me! You can't know me. Do you think I'm so stupid to believe your lies?!"

He tightened his grip on her throat and June began to struggle, running out of air. She knew that resonating him would be difficult, if not impossible. She reluctantly gave him a powerful kick in the knee. He screamed in pain and backed away long enough for her to run away. She ran, but Loki quickly recovered from her attack and went after her.

Before she could go too far, Loki caught up with her. His hand closed on her wrist and he pulled hard to bring her back to him. June stumbled and landed in his arms. Despite her fear, she could only feel comforted by the touch of the man she loved. Loki felt his anger melt like snow in the sun. It was replaced by a strange feeling of warmth. A bit like when one remembers happy childhood memories. This feeling left him perplexed as he contemplated the strange and yet so familiar face of the young woman in his arms.

Their moment of contemplation was interrupted, however, by the same unpleasant sensation of warmth that June felt on every trip. She groaned away from Loki and the god looked at her in amazement when he noticed her hands lighting up.

"Help me!" she exclaimed before disappearing in a flash.

This time, June landed flat on her back on the steps, which she hurried down with a cry of surprise and pain.

"I have to work on my landings."

"That would be helpful, indeed." Answered a voice she knew by heart.

She looked up and noticed Loki, locked in a room with glass walls. He was in prison. She knew exactly where and when she was. She got up quickly and walked towards him, perplexed.

"I've been waiting for this moment for a while." he said, with his hands behind his back. "The last time I saw you, you passed out in the air."

"I wish it would stop, but I can't control anything."

"So, is it true? Are you a time traveller?" he asked calmly. "You're still wearing the same dress."

"Because our three encounters happened on the same day for me. I've just left you in New York."

"What happened?" he asked.

June was puzzled. He was much nicer than the last time she had seen him. He couldn't have changed that much. Something wasn't right.

"Why do you care? The last time I saw you, you tried to kill me."

He laughed slightly before he calmed down.

"I've spent some time in that cell, it gave me time to think. The first time I saw you, you were moved, saying that you had problems with the man you loved. The second time you said you knew me better than anyone else..."

He left his sentence hanging, but she knew what he meant.

"It doesn't take a genius to figure it out. Tell me, please."

June hesitated, conflicting emotions rushed through her. She finally recognised her own Loki, the one she loved. But she couldn't help wondering how much ordeal he had gone through to get to this point.

"I come from the future." she finally said. "We... We argued, once again. And then there was an accident. We found a strange stone and when I touched it, I found myself in Asgard, years before I met you..."

"The first time I saw you, on Asgard, I felt as if I knew you as if I had met you before." He confessed. "Now I understand why."

"Loki, I can't continue to travel through time and meet you at different times. I have a life in my time, I want to go back."

She approached the glass that separated them, tears coming to her eyes.

"I have... I have so much to tell you. I have so many things to make up for. All this time wasted arguing. I want to come home to you."

"I'm here." he murmured, moving closer to the glass, wanting to stand as close to her as possible.

"But you're not my Loki."

"I could be."

"You will be, soon."

They looked into each other's eyes for a moment, without saying a word. But words were not necessary. Their emotions could be read in their eyes.

Loki opened his mouth to say something, but the prison doors opened. June was startled and quickly went into hiding. She watched in silence as Thor took his brother with him. She knew what would happen next, so she decided to stay hidden in the kingdom, waiting for Loki's return, unless the cursed stone decided otherwise.

She spent hours waiting. And at no time did she feel the strange heat announcing her departure. She heard the news of Loki's death spread throughout the kingdom. But she knew. Loki had told her all about his life on Asgard, and she knew that he had faked his death to take the throne. When she saw Thor return to Asgard, she went to the throne room. She watched in silence as Thor spoke with Odin and then walked away as the illusion faded. When Thor was gone, she walked towards him.

Loki immediately rose from his throne and approached her. For a moment they stood still in front of each other, looking each other straight in the eyes. Then he took her hands in his.

"I thought I wouldn't see you again. At least not today."

"I didn't think I would either." She smiled. "Loki..."

He put a finger to her lips to silence her.

"I've been thinking a lot about our previous meetings. I don't know what I did wrong to make you so sad, I just want you to know that... I never really knew what it was like to love. And I have been betrayed by my family, so it's hard for me to trust."

June was speechless, she never thought she would hear Loki apologise to her and talk to her with such an open heart. Loki sighed and looked down. He saw the ring on her finger and smiled in spite of himself. He had never believed that this kind of happiness could happen to him.

"And it's hard for me to say I'm sorry."

"I know. I understand better now."

She looked at him again for a moment, moved. Her love for him, which was already so great, had increased tenfold during this trip. But June didn't want to travel any more, she wanted to be with her husband again. She put a hand on his cheek.

"Help me." She murmured, her throat tightened. "Help me to go back to you and put the pieces back together again. I don't want to lose you."

"If you leave, I'm the one who loses you..." he replied, sadly.

"This is only temporary."

He seemed to hesitate for a while. June could have lost herself in his gaze, as she had done many times before, but she felt the unpleasant heat again. She panicked immediately when she saw her hands glowing.

"Loki, no! I want to go home." she panicked.

Loki put both hands on her cheeks and kissed her passionately. June, at first surprised by the kiss, let herself be carried away. She kissed him as if her life depended on it as if he was her oxygen. For she realized she had only two options. Either she never went back home or she went back home but didn't recognise anything. Because she knew she had changed a lot by travelling through time. Changes of which she was unaware of the consequences. She might very well never have known Loki in a new future. And all this will have been a strange dream, a distant memory...

Loki put his forehead against hers and watched her disappear in that same flash of light.

In the cave of the new Asgard in Norway, Thor was kneeling next to his brother. Loki had collapsed to the ground after his wife's disappearance, suffering a severe headache. He felt as if his brain was being put into a blender. His memories were mixing, a 2.0 version of his memory had just been added to the initial version. He was confused and his head was hurting terribly. Then there was a flash of light.

His headache disappeared as quickly as it appeared and he got up just in time to catch June falling out of the strange gate. The young woman was lost, panicked, dried tears on her cheeks, memories of her heart-wrenching farewell with the younger version of Loki. She looked around and noticed the cave and the strange pearly stone. Her relief was complete.

"June?" Loki asked, relieved to have her in his arms but worried about her appearance and behaviour.

The young woman turned her head sharply in his direction and a smile of relief spread over her lips when she realised that she was finally home with her Loki.

"Loki!" she exclaimed, hugging him tightly with her arms around him.

"Are you all right?" he asked, a little worried.

"Now yes."

June stood away from him for a moment and looked him in the eyes.

"Loki, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you, I should have understood why you were acting like that, I-"

"June." He cut her off. "It's all right. We both learned from this trip. And I'm the one who should be apologizing."

The young woman raised an eyebrow. We both learned from this trip? So he remembered meeting her? She had really rewritten the past?

"I was so afraid I had ruined everything between us, I was so afraid of losing you."

He grabbed her chin and gently forced her to look at him. He had a loving, teasing smile on his lips.

"I've already told you that I've always loved you."

June opened her mouth, shocked. It's true that he had always told her, and before she hadn't really understood. He had only known her for a few years, married for only five. But now she understood. She had travelled through his past and had marked him from the beginning. From the beginning, he had fallen under her spell.

Moved by this realization, she didn't know how to answer. Loki laughed and took her back to their house, to enjoy their fireplace and maybe talk about what had happened. But June was serene, she was no longer afraid of arguments. She just knew that Loki loved her and that she sometimes had to be more tolerant.

**THE END**


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